The brakes were not working.
As mature as everyone thought she was, Avery knew she would always be a baby at heart especially when it involved her closest family members. Emma, being the only one left among them. Living without them; living away from them; or in this case, living without any assurance that they were alright and not in danger, Avery was not sure she could pull it off. Emma was her only remaining lifeline and leaving her behind in the den of her enemies, was something she could not bring herself to do.
It was the reason she attempted to stop the car immediately after accelerating, only to find out the brakes were not working.
This was it, she thought, this was their way of killing her without their hands getting messy. It meant Emma was not safe either except…
"I have to get to Archie," Avery declared with determination sparkling in her eyes, her words directed at no one in particular. All she needed to do was to not stop, right? The brakes were not working so she just needed to keep driving until she got to the building he lived in, a location engraved in her heart.
'You can do this, Avery," she reassured herself. Her eyes caught the phone resting on the seat beside her and she picked it up. There should be no harm in listening to the message Emma left for her, right? It could at least serve as something to distract her nerves from wearing out while she drove without any hope of stopping soon.
Unlocking the phone, the audio message was the only thing Avery saw displayed on the screen. She clicked on the play icon and flung the phone back onto the seat, her ears strained to listen carefully.
[Vee, I am sorry I could not bring myself to tell you all this to your face. I was only scared; I would hate myself more if I see the disappointment that were in Arthur's eyes when I told him this, in yours too.
I have been a very bad girl, sister, an unworthy role model and I'm not exactly the good girl you think I am. I have made a lot of mistakes but I never regretted any of those as much as I regret not telling you this earlier…]
By the time she was done listening to the message, Avery was sobbing loudly while tears flowed in torrents down her cheeks. Only one sentence resounded in her mind as she tightened her grip on the steering wheel,
'It is all still my fucking fault!'
Less than ten minutes driving distance away from Dove's Building where Archie lived, a light rain shower suddenly started, gently pattering against the windows and windshield. As she was already on the highway with a lot of cars on both lanes, Avery could only hope that the traffic be reduced so as to avoid hitting another car or getting into an accident.
However, not only did the traffic increase, but the light rain shower also increased to a rainstorm. That, coupled with the call that came in through the phone the next minute, thwarted Avery's plan to avoid an accident.
★★★
Never in her wildest imaginations had Avery imagined herself travelling out of the country in nothing more than an oversized t-shirt and an equally oversized bunny slippers, and in the arms of Archibald Donovan. But then, she never imagined any of the events that happened in the past 24 hours either.
"I will sort things over here within a few days," his voice resounded above her head, the usual cold tone almost chilling her out. "In the meantime, you'll get treatment and make sure you are totally alright, both physically and mentally. Anything you would like to object or request?"
Avery didn't reply. Not only because she had nothing to say, but because even the slightest sound hadn't escaped her lips since she woke up in Archie's car ten minutes ago.
He continued when he received no response, "I guess it's alright to take matters into my hands then."
Walking across the rainy tarmac, his long strides ate up the distance to the waiting private jet where a group of staffs were waiting for them.
"Mr Donovan," the staffs, made up of the pilots and five female attendants, bowed their heads slightly in greeting when they arrived.
He nodded in return and bypassed them, ascending the short steps into the warm, luxurious interior to settle Avery into the plush leather seat, adjusting the harness to secure her safety. His keen eyes checking for any sign of discomfort, he only turned away when he found none. The staff were right behind him, waiting for instructions.
"Which among you is the doctor?" he asked, his gaze alternating between the women up front. When one of them stepped forward, he informed, "She was in a terrible accident but escaped with no major injuries; can't rule out an internal one though. Apart from that, I tested her earlier and all her senses were perfectly working but for the past ten minutes, she's just been staring into space without doing or saying anything."
With a nod from the doctor, Archie turned to the others to address them generally.
"My assistants will be joining you in a day or two. Until then, she must not be let out of your sights or be exposed to the media."
"Alright, Sir."
"Great," Archie stated. Turning to cast one last glance at Avery, he was a bit surprised to find her staring straight at him, a glint in her eyes. One that didn't seem good in any way. "Need something?" he asked.
Avery nodded.
"Help me," she whispered.
"With what?"
"A befitting funeral for all three of them. Please," she replied.